Twenty-five years ago, in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew, in the area around Homestead AFB, I gained my first experience at what society looks like when it is stretched, desperate and begins to collapse.

Burning every other house on a cul-de-sac, intentionally, one-by-one, just to provide light to keep the looters at bay, well, lets say that experience is life changing.

When you witness an elderly lady walking, soaking wet, with bread bags on her feet instead of shoes, it also changes your perspective quickly.

There are some things actually worse than devastating hurricanes, one of those things is the aftermath, the anxiety, the behavior, and how desperation manifests in people you might have seen only a week prior at a grocery store. Now that same person is willing to do anything to survive or improve their lot in life, and that’s a scary reality.

Today, while trying to help people prepare for Hurricane Irma, I was reminded of that experience in the aftermath of Andrew – through the eyes of a desperate ‘bad hombre” willing to rob me because he couldn’t get the materials needed to secure his own home from the hardware store.

He didn’t want money; just wanted the tools… so he took them.

I have replacements; and choose not to escalate a desperate situation into something that might possibly end up far worse.

That said, I hope,… check that… I PRAY, South Florida survives the worst weather forecast of Hurricane Irma and the storm doesn’t leave devastation in its aftermath. However, what really concerns me are the flashbacks to that Homestead experience in ’92 in the aftermath of Andrew; and how law and order collapsed for almost a full week.

There are very good reasons why anxiety violence in South Florida is not being discussed right now, there are also some PC reasons I’m sure. Regardless, perhaps this short reminder is worthwhile for a few people who may need to prepare themselves for what can happen.

Evacuation will not be possible for many people; partly because there’s a fuel shortage and not enough gas for South Florida people to actually get on the road and head North. Ten to sixteen million people headed North on basically three main arteries is virtually impossible to pull off under the best of circumstances, so many will have to hunker down.

Keep a level head about yourself. Avoid crowds. If you have prepared yourself appropriately you should have enough supplies to last at least 3 days before needing to leave home. If you can, stay inside; if you can’t, don’t travel alone. Always have someone with you and look out for your neighbors.

Don’t tell anyone what supplies you may or may not have. If anyone asks, even friends, instead ask them: what do they need? If you can help, great, do it; but don’t discuss what your supplies are. Also, remember, absent of electrical power, predators know everyone shopping is carrying cash.

Protect yourself and your family. Use common sense, and always trust your instincts.

Matches in a waterproof container? Butane lighters like a BIC seem cheap, rugged, and reliable. Though I don’t smoke, I always have a small one in my pocket, along with a knife. Guess I’m just an old Boy Scout. 🙂

Just heard from relatives in Hernando (Citrus County, Tampa area). About 18 miles inland from the gulf coast, but near a big lake. They’re in a modular home and under mandatory evacuation. They secured everything they could, loaded up all the food in the house and the dog, picking up an elderly couple and heading to the wife’s daughter’s house, better built and safer location.

Both have physical issues, wife has a bad back, planning surgery. Husband had a leg amputated, has a temporary prosthetic, waiting for his final one.

They said area airlines would be shutting down tonight. One small airline had 2 seats left, wanted $6000 for them.

This is an EXCELLENT idea. Also, might consider taking off all jewelry except maybe your cross.

I hate to be a Cassandra, but this article got my attention by reminding me that our society is deteriorating even in the best of times. Keep in mind that the Romans did not realize they were living in the last days of Rome. Not saying we’re in the last days of America, but just a reminder that when societies are about to collapse, the people in them don’t realize that’s what’s going on.

PS whenever a hurricane is coming and not bad enough to evacuate we always fill the bathtub up with water so that we’ll always have water for the dog…a rescue who was on the streets before rescue so drank a lot of water that was worse than bathtub water and still survived. We have bottled water, too, of course, for her, but if that gets low or runs out — there IS the bathtub.Further, bathtub water filled from the tap is the same water used to wash dishes so is good enough to wash stuff with.

Remove and discard drywall and insulation that has been contaminated with sewage or flood waters.

Thoroughly clean all hard surfaces (such as flooring, concrete, molding, wood and metal furniture, countertops, appliances, sinks, and other plumbing fixtures) with hot water and laundry or dish detergent.

Help the drying process by using fans, air conditioning units, and dehumidifiers.

After completing the cleanup, wash your hands with soap and warm water. Use water that has been boiled for 1 minute (allow the water to cool before washing your hands).

Or you may use water that has been disinfected for personal hygiene use (solution of ⅛ teaspoon [~0.75 milliliters] of household bleach per 1 gallon of water). Let it stand for 30 minutes. If the water is cloudy, use a solution of ¼ teaspoon (~1.5 milliliters) of household bleach per 1 gallon of water.

Wash all clothes worn during the cleanup in hot water and detergent. These clothes should be washed separately from uncontaminated clothes and linens.

Wash clothes contaminated with flood or sewage water in hot water and detergent. It is recommended that a laundromat be used for washing large quantities of clothes and linens until your onsite waste-water system has been professionally inspected and serviced.

Eating or drinking anything contaminated by flood water can cause diarrheal disease. To protect yourself and your family:

Practice good hygiene (handwashing) after contact with flood waters.
Do not allow children to play in flood water areas.
Wash children’s hands frequently (always before meals).
Do not allow children to play with toys that have been contaminated by flood water and have not been disinfected.
For information on disinfecting certain nonporous toys, visit CDC Healthy Water’s Cleaning and Sanitizing with Bleach section.

Wound Infections

Open wounds and rashes exposed to flood waters can become infected. To protect yourself and your family:

Avoid exposure to flood waters if you have an open wound.
Cover open wounds with a waterproof bandage.
Keep open wounds as clean as possible by washing well with soap and clean water.
If a wound develops redness, swelling, or drainage, seek immediate medical attention.
For more information, visit CDC’s Emergency Wound Care After a Natural Disaster .

The risk for injury during and after a hurricane and other natural disasters is high. Prompt first aid can help heal small wounds and prevent infection. Tetanus, other bacterial infections, and fungal infections are potential health threats for persons who have open wounds.

Seek medical attention as soon as possible if:

There is a foreign object (soil, wood, metal, or other objects) embedded in the wound;

The wound is at special risk of infection (such as a dog bite or a puncture by a dirty object);

An old wound shows signs of becoming infected (increased pain and soreness, swelling, redness, draining, or you develop a fever).

How to Care for Minor Wounds

Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and clean water if possible.

Avoid touching the wound with your fingers while treating it (if possible, use disposable, latex gloves).

Remove obstructive jewelry and clothing from the injured body part.

Apply direct pressure to any bleeding wound to control bleeding.

Clean the wound after bleeding has stopped.

Examine wounds for dirt and foreign objects.

Gently flood the wound with bottled water or clean running water (if available, saline solution is preferred).

Gently clean around the wound with soap and clean water.

Pat dry and apply an adhesive bandage or dry clean cloth.

Leave unclean wounds, bites, and punctures open. Wounds that are not cleaned correctly can trap bacteria and result in infection.

Puncture wounds can carry bits of clothing and dirt into wounds and result in infection.

Crush injuries are more likely to become infected than wounds from cuts.

Take steps to prevent tetanus

If you have wounds, you should be evaluated for a tetanus immunization. If you receive a puncture wound or a wound contaminated with feces, soil, or saliva, have a health care professional determine whether a tetanus booster is necessary based on individual records.

And, if you can’t get to medical care, which many people won’t be able to for awhile…take 1,000 mg. Vitamin C X3 a day. It helps your body fight the infection.

1/3 t. ginger powder in hot coffee or tea 3 times a day for 5 days if there are any signs of infection.

Adding cinnamon powder about the same amount can sub in a fix.

Those are antiviral, antibacterial and antimicrobial.

Both of those things will help fight off infection. That’s an adult dose. It can actually replace antibiotics if you are religious about taking it. Take it for a minimum of 5 days or until you can get to a doctor.

For infections: use Epsom salts in hot water soak to draw any puss out.

For EXTREME cases:

Fish antibiotics and pig antibiotics are also usable. NEVER use antibiotics for horses, dogs or cats!

The absence of faith – religion to train and teach people to love your enemies… logically ends up with this…

Half of America Wants the Other Half to Die in a Hurricane

Read all the misanthropic tweets in this article.

“They’re sitting on Twitter as the hurricane tears toward Florida hoping people will die.

“There’s no “common ground” to be found with people who want me and those like me (and our children) to die violently in a hurricane! These are not friends, compatriots, or countrymen.

“Imagine the outcry if a hurricane was coming toward SanFrancisco and the right was tweeting, “Boy, those gays have it coming! Serves them right for putting Heather Has Two Mommies in our curriculum! I hope they all die!” The foaming at the mouth would be epic. The people the left is targeting for death-by-hurricane are not the monsters they want them to be. Most of those firemen, SWAT members, and first responders running into danger to rescue hurricane survivors are Trump supporters. That’s who elected him — blue-collar, police, firemen, military and trade workers. And the Trump Derangement Syndrome zombies want them to get killed.”

This is the Darwin effect- a willingness to sacrifice the live of yourself and your children.

(This is called Normalcy Bias – the worst we’ve seen, is the worst that will ever be.)

Woman refuses to evacuate with her 5 children.

Beth, who lives 10 miles from the southeast coast, said she, her husband and their five children have been preparing their home for the storm for a week. She said she remains hopeful that the storm could bypass her immediate area altogether.

“We’ll shelter in place, no matter what,” she said. “Today, the older boys are helping us put up all the hurricane shutters, checking the roof for loose tiles and taking down the patio furniture and trampoline. The younger kids are helping to clean up yard debris, count batteries, find flashlights and candles and get out board games and books.”

Beth said the family is equipped with extra gas cans, a working generator, food, bottled water and cash. They plan to move their furniture upstairs to minimize flood damage.

“Honestly, I don’t know that anything would change our minds at this point,” she said, noting that she would be more likely to consider evacuating if her children, aged 10 to 15, were younger. “We can handle this.”

It sounds like she’s in one of those Hacienda type houses. Those suckers, my hubby says (he’s a FL cracker born and raised here), withstands Hurricanes and just about anything you can throw at it. He has always dreamed of owning one!